GAATES projects, presentations and awards

UN Related PROJECTS

UNESCO: Global Report Scientific Editorial Services
GAATES participated in the developed the UNESCO Global Report on the Use of ICTs in Education for Persons with Disabilities. This report provides an overview and critical assessment on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education, both in policy and in practice.

UNESCO: Community Multimedia Centres
GAATES developed the Accessibility Guidelines to UNESCO’s Community Multimedia Centres, to ensure the participation of all people, including people with disabilities and older persons, in Knowledge Societies by increasing awareness and knowledge of accessible design of information and communication technology and the built environment.

UN DESA: GAATES developed the Monograph Handbook: Accessibility Provisions in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, an analysis of accessibility provisions in the UN CRPD. It was for used as a background paper at a CRPD Experts meeting held at the World Bank in 2010.

UNESCAP—Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union
GAATES developed an information guide on accessible early warnings and communication with persons with disabilities in an emergency for use by broadcasters. The document is entitled: Guideline on Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction: Early Warning and Accessible Broadcasting.

Conference of States Parties (COSP) on the CRPD

COSP7 (2014)
GAATES’ Mukhtar AlShibani and Aqeel Qureshi presented at an opening day Civil Society Forum. Mr.AlShibani presented on Universal Design and Mr. Qureshi presented on Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction and the Use of Accessible ICTs.
GAATES’ Betty Dion was included in the UN DESA Forum Roundtable Discussion on Disability–Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience

COSP6 (2013)
GAATES’ Mukhtar AlShibani presented at a side event on Strategies for the Inclusion of Accessibility and Universal Design in a Post-2015 Development Agenda.

COSP4 (2011)
GAATES’ Mukhtar AlShibani and Cynthia Waddell presented at a side event an Update on GAATES ICT Projects & A Free & Open Source Software Business Model: Accessible ICTs and Initiatives

COSP2 (2009)
GAATES’ Betty Dion and Andres Balcazar presented at a side event on the importance of Universal Design in relation to accessibility of the built, virtual and transportation environments. Universal Design of The Built Environment: Implementing And Monitoring The UN Convention.

Participation with UN Bodies

UNICEF – Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities
GAATES is active in the partnership of organizations looking at ways to come together to explore ways of bringing children with disabilities to the forefront of international development and cooperation.

UN DESA – GAATES’ has conducted a number of projects on behalf of and with UN DESA; GAATES had several members participate at a CRPD Experts meeting held at the World Bank in 2010, have presented at multiple side events during the Conference of States Parties events and consulted with them on the Millennium Development Goals and the Post-2015 Development Goals.

Information and Communication—ICTs

Government of Ontario EnAbling Change Program: ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION: A GUIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESS – This Guide will help you take stock of the accessibility and usability of your existing information and communication systems, and provide you with the information and resources you need to enhance access to your services for your clients. This will help you understand the various components of accessible information and communication, your information and communications related obligations and where to find help with implementation.

Government of Ontario EnAbling Change Program:
OUTSOURCING WEB DEVELOPMENT: A GUIDE FOR HIRING CONTRACTORS TO DEVELOP ACCESSIBLE WEBSITES AND WEB CONTENT – This aim of this guide is to help you through the process of hiring an outside contractor to develop an accessible website and accessible web content for your organization.

Government of Ontario EnAbling Change Program:
WCAG 2.0 – WEB CONTENT ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES: AN INTRODUCTORY GUIDE FOR WEB DEVELOPERS – The need to create accessible websites has been growing over the past couple of decades, however, many web developers still lack the knowledge and skills needed to make their website creations accessible to persons with disabilities.

Government of Ontario EnAbling Change Program:
ICT RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Developing accessibility policies and a multi-year accessibility plan: A guide for organizations with 50 or more employees

A guide to developing an accessibility policy: for organizations with 1-49 employees

Providing accessible information to people with disabilities

Making Emergency and Public Safety Information Accessible to the Public

Providing individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a disability

Emergency Preparedness

Government of Canada: On Thin Ice – Emergency Management for Persons with Disabilities in the Arctic

Awards

Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment
The GAATES publication International Best Practices in Universal Design: A Global Review was named as one of the world’s 100 “Best Practices” for 2008 by United Nations – Habitat – Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment.

The purpose of the Dubai Award is to recognize and enhance awareness of outstanding and sustainable achievements in improving the living environment. It was established under the directives of late Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, during a 1995 United Nations International Conference.

The “1st International Conference on Technology for Helping People with Disabilities” (ICTHP 2013) was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia February 2013. Presentations by Mukhtar Al Shibani, Chuck Letourneau, Aqeel Qureshi, Alireza Darvishy, Vashkar Bhattacharjee

UN DESA
In consultation with UN DESA, GAATES facilitated the a UN Consultative Session On The High Level Meetings On Disability And Development at the Prince Salman Center for Disability Research in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. December 10, 2012.

UN Expert Group Meeting
GAATES’ Aqeel Qureshi presented on the Use of ICTs in Disaster Risk Reduction at the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Building Inclusive Society and Development Through Promoting ICT Accessibility: Emerging Issues and Trends. A Special Session on “Towards disability-responsive and inclusive disasters and emergency response and management”

1st Saudi Forum on Universal Design. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
All GAATES Board members and Country Representatives were able to deliver a presentation. There were presentations on a variety of country experiences on accessibility of the built environment, ICTs, transportation and tourism.

2011

ECOSOC – “Education for All”
GAATES was pleased to have been selected to have a paper presented at the “Education for All” event in Geneva, Switzerland

2009

Gulf Disability Society’s 9th Forum. Doha, Qatar.
Technical assistance for people with special needs and their role in work environments. Presented by Mukhtar Al Shibani and Betty Dion

Gulf Disability Society’s 9th Forum. Doha, Qatar.
Presentations by Betty Dion
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Research and surveys, applied and in technical assistance for people with special needs

Gulf Disability Society’s 9th Forum. Doha, Qatar.
Presentations by Chuck Letourneau
Training the trainers: Developing a cadre of technical staff to support people with disabilities
The Web of Accessibility: Multimedia and the Internet for people with disabilities

Gulf Disability Society’s 9th Forum. Doha, Qatar.
Presentations by Aqeel Qureshi
Assistive Technology to support e-education for people with disabilities
How disabled people access the Software and hardware

Gulf Disability Society’s 9th Forum. Doha, Qatar.
Presentations by Dr. Harold W. Snider
Legal, Psychological and Social Effects That May Accompany the Use of Assistive Technology for People with Disabilities
Assistive Technology and the Development of Networking Skills, Social Skills and Daily Living Skills

World Urban Forum
International Best Practices in Universal Design: A Global Review. Presented by Betty Dion

2008

World Bank – Washington, USA
International Best Practices in Universal Design. Presented by Betty Dion

Man and His Environment – Serbia
International Best Practices in Universal Design: A Global Review. Presented by Betty Dion